Slayers FIGHT
by Shira
Summary: NO! Not ANOTHER sequel to Slayers TRY!!! *sigh* Sadly, yes. Lina and Gourry hafta save the Higher World from sure destruction by the Dark Lord Death Fog. L/G ALL THE WAY!
1. Stranger in the Night

**Slayers FIGHT**

**Chapter 1**

**"A Stranger in the Night"**

****

****The notorious Lina Inverse. She was well-known throughout the world for the destruction of bandits and thieves. She was even more famous for the deaths of Dark Lords throughout the land. But she was also known on other worlds. She was renowned even in the Overworld for the death of Dark Star, Duradigdo. And with most of those two worlds knowing her name and her deeds, it was only natural that word of her would spread to other worlds as well. 

**..::*~*::..**

****

Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev were staying at an inn for the night, in separate rooms, of course. They'd just finished a day full of attacking bandit gangs and thieves, snatching plenty of gold, and even making money killing a small band of orcs outside a village nearby. She'd even found a new set of talismans she could use to amplify her spells. Her old ones were useless now that one of the Four Lords they called upon was dead, but her new ones called upon the power of the Lord of Nightmares. Since Lina knew how to control that power, she could use the talismans easily, if only sparingly. All in all, it was a good day. 

Yawning widely, Lina stretched her arms to the sky. She quickly changed into the flannel pajamas the inn provided, and snuggled deep into her blanket. She'd gotten lots of treasure that day, and was very, very happy. Everything seemed to be going her way. She and Gourry had traveled half of everywhere, trying out the foods of the world, fighting bandits, and making money. Money which was promptly spent on food and desserts. 

Zelgadis and Amelia weren't with them, though. They'd both gone to Seyruun after the Dark Star Battle. Shortly after that, however, they left again to find Zelgadis's cure. Lina had received a long letter from Amelia explaining the argument she'd had with Zelgadis before he finally agreed to let her come along. Lina wasn't worried about them, they made a great pair, even though they probably got in more trouble than they could handle 

Filia wasn't along either. She'd gone back to the Outer World and went on to fulfill her dream-- opening an antique and mace shop. She called it Filia's Tea House of Maces and Vases. She was also very successful in selling her own brews of tea and coffee. Xellos had gone back to Wolfpack Island, for which Lina was very grateful. Xellos was only helpful once in a blue moon, and was _definitely_ more trouble than he was worth. She'd heard from Filia that he stopped into the store more and more frequently to annoy Filia out of her wits. Of course, he'd been properly greeted with typical Golden Dragon hospitality. Towards mazoku, that meant a mace in the head and a hole the shape of Xellos in the wall. 

Closing her eyes, Lina smiled. Yes, even though her friends were off around the world, things were good. As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't think of any way they could be better. 

Of course, there were plenty of ways for it to get worse. 

**..::*~*::..**

A loud sound woke Lina up out of her deep sleep. She sat up bolt upright and looked around her room. "Who's there?" she asked in a strong, if quiet voice. When there was no reply, Lina took a closer look around the room. The door was still shut and locked. The dresser was undisturbed. But the window, which Lina had been sure to close because it had looked like rain, was wide open, the curtains billowing into the room. 

Slowly, Lina got out of bed, and walked over to the window. She looked around outside for a moment before she closed the window slowly. She frowned for a second, staring out at the deserted street below her. Maybe that sound had just been her imagination? After all, she was on the third floor of the inn. What could possibly get up there? 

Suddenly, Lina's eyes went wide. There was the reflection of a person behind her in the window. Lina turned around sharply, and the stranger's hand covered her mouth. Good thing, too, because she was about to yell for Gourry. 

"Please don't scream," the stranger whispered. Lina couldn't tell whether the stranger was a man or a woman, since the cloak he or she wore covered his or her face. But the voice of this tall person was very feminine. 

"Don't scream," the stranger said softly again, slowly releasing Lina. "I'm sorry if I scared--" 

Lina decided she wouldn't scream, but she wouldn't just stand there and take crap like that from someone who'd just broken into her room, interrupted her sleep, and then creeped her out like that. Despite the stranger being head and shoulders taller than Lina, she gritted her teeth, and demanded, "Just who the hell do you think you are? You can't just barge into my room like this and expect me to--" 

The stranger held up a gloved hand, and said quickly, "Please, Lina Inverse, I didn't mean to frighten you." 

Lina broke off, confused. She blinked a few times, and tilted her head to look up at the stranger. "How do you know me?" she asked, more than a little suspicious now of this tall, hooded figure standing in her room. 

"Rumors of your triumphs have spread farther than you may realize," the stranger said. Slowly, the stranger pulled back the hood of the cloak, revealing a long, female face. She had dark skin and dark red hair, and elegant charcoal-black eyes. "My name is Arimus. I am a servant of Trephied, from the Higher World." 

Now Lina was stumped. "Trephied? Higher World? I've never heard of those." She crossed her arms, and glared up at Arimus. "How do I know you aren't just bluffing?" 

"Please, Lina Inverse," Arimus begged. "Please believe me! Trephied is our God, much like the Ciepheed of this world! Death Fog, Voradigdo, is our world's equivalent of your Shabranigdo, Ruby Eye." 

Lina frowned, and bit the inside of her lip while she thought about this. It did make sense. Death Fog was in another world, and the names sounded possible. But, still... "What would someone from the Higher World want with me?" Lina asked, still doubting whether to believe this woman. 

"Our God, Trephied, sealed Death Fog beneath a temple many years ago," Arimus told her. "But now Trephied is very, very weak. He cannot maintain the seal much longer. We need you, Lina Inverse, to help us strengthen the seal. With you, we can bind Death Fog strongly enough that he cannot escape and wreak destruction upon our world once again." 

Lina snorted. "You really expect me to believe that?" she asked incredulously. Arimus just stared at her in shock. "You seriously think I'm going to come with you over a load of farce like that? Even Gourry could make up a more convincing story than that." 

Arimus dropped to her knees, and grabbed Lina's hand in both of hers. "Please, Lina Inverse," she pleaded, hers springing to her eyes. "Please, believe me! We need your help! You must help us save our world!" 

As Lina looked down at Arimus dubiously, she had to admit that the woman was a good actor. She looked the part, too. No one Lina had ever seen had dark skin and red hair before. It was a very unusual combination. Maybe she was telling the truth? But, why would they need her to help out? Surely there was someone in the Higher World (if it even existed) with enough power to strengthen the seal? But then again, she _was_ Lina Inverse, the beautiful sorcery genius. She was famous, after all. 

"Okay, let's say I believe you," Lina said after a while. "What would you want me to do?" 

Arimus got to her feet and hugged Lina tightly. "Oh, thank you Lina Inverse! Thank you so very much!" she cried. 

Lina shoved her off, and told her sternly, "I'm still not saying I believe you. I'll go along with this for a while, but only on two conditions." She held up two fingers to emphasize her point. 

"Of course, anything." 

"First off," Lina said, putting one finger down. "Gourry comes too." 

Arimus nodded wildly. "Yes, of course." 

"Second," she continued, putting down her second finger. "I want a reward." 

Arimus stopped, and blinked. "A... A reward?" she asked. 

"Yes, reward," Lina echoed. "If this is all a hoax, or even if it is by some chance true, I want something in return for my efforts. I don't do charity work." 

Puzzled, Arimus rubbed the back of her head, and said, "I suppose we could get you a reward for your services. Um... what would you like?" 

"What would I like?" Lina repeated incredulously. "Gold, of course! Lots of it!" 

"Gold?" Arimus sounded very confused. 

Lina sighed in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air. "Yes, gold!" She held up a gold coin in front of Arimus's face. "Gold! See? Shiny! Yellow! Money!" 

Arimus got an even more perplexed look on her face. "You want... _that_... as a reward?" she asked as if she wanted to make absolutely certain. 

"Yes, I said that, didn't I?" Lina nearly shouted. Boy, this girl was thick once you got past the crying and the begging. 

"Okay," the dark-skinned woman said slowly. "I guess if that's what you really want..." 

Lina pumped her fist, and yelled, "All right! Now, you wait here while I go wake up the jellyfish!" Lina jogged out of the room, thinking about all the gold she'd get from saving a whole world! Again... 

Back in the room, Arimus looked after Lina, more confused than ever. "Pavement... Why would she want to be rewarded with pavement?" she asked herself. 

**Authoress Note**

This has been SO overdone, wouldn't you agree? Another sequel to Slayers TRY.... *sigh* I wish I could be more original sometimes. That thing about gold being pavement came from a joke I heard at church. It's said that the streets of Heaven are paved with gold, and one man insisted upon bringing his gold treasures into Heaven with him. The angel at the gate told him he wouldn't need it, but the man kept insisting. The angel shrugged, and let the guy through. When the guy passed, the angel said to himself, "Pavement... Why would he want pavement?" ^____^ I thought it was funny. Now, concerning the God and Dark Lord's names..... I figured that since there was Ciepheed and Volphied, then the God along with Death Fog should sound about the same too, which led me to Trephied. Same goes for Shabranigdo, Duradigdo (Dark Star), Voradigdo. Get it? Okay. Now, not many people may have realized this, but Lina's talismans from NEXT and TRY called upon the power of the four Dark Lords. "_Lords of Darkness of the Four Worlds_..." That's how the chant starts out. But, check this! She defeated Dark Star! Meaning there are only THREE Dark Lords now!! So her talismans can't work!! I'm actually surprised not many people paid attention to that major detail. 


	2. Broken Seal, Broken Heart OR Left Behind...

**Slayers FIGHT**

**Chapter 2**

**"Broken Seal, Broken Heart"**

**OR**

**"Left Behind, But Not Forgotten"**

Lina burst into Gourry's room, mentally reminding herself to tell him to remember to lock his door at night. "Gourry!" she called, hurrying over to his bed. He was lying spread-eagle across his bed, his head at the wrong end, and half of him hanging off. Lina shook his shoulder, and yelled in his ear, "Wake up, jellyfish!" 

Gourry sat up in shock, and promptly fell off the bed in a heap of blankets. After he untangled himself, he looked up at Lina from his position on the floor. "What is it, Lina?" he asked urgently, clenching his sword in both hands. He no longer had the Sword of Light, since he had given it back to Sirius, but he'd found a replacement that would suffice until they found him a new magic sword. 

Lina pulled Gourry to his feet, and said, "We've got a job offer." 

Gourry looked over at his window. "But it's still dark," he said, seeing the stars and the moon outside. 

"I know that," Lina said irritably. "But obviously Higher Worlders don't know the meaning of civility." 

"What's a Higher Worlder?" Gourry asked, grabbing his armor and buckling it on, completely oblivious to the fact that he was still wearing the blue star-printed pajamas the inn had supplied. 

Speaking as if she'd known all her life, Lina answered, "They're the people that live in the Higher World. And before you ask, that's the world that Death Fog has control of." 

Gourry nodded, but he was still obviously confused. Lina just shrugged, and led him back to her room. "Lina!" Gourry hissed in her ear. "There's someone in your room!" 

"I know that, you idiot!" Lina yelled, whacking him upside the head. "She's Arimus, the Higher Worlder." 

"You must be Gourry Gabriev," Arimus said, extending her hand to Gourry. 

Gourry shook her hand, and said, "Yeah, I am." 

Arimus smiled. "I've heard so much about you," she told him, not letting go of his hand. She was almost as tall as he was. "About how bravely you fight with Lina Inverse. How strongly you once wielded the Sword of Light." 

Lina gritted her teeth. "All right, break it up," she said loudly, stepping between Arimus and Gourry, breaking their hand contact. "Let's just get this over with so I can get my gold, okay?" 

"Yes, of course," Arimus said hastily, blushing a little. "If you'll both hold one of my hands, I'll teleport us to the Higher World." 

Lina glanced out of the side of her eyes at Arimus, before reluctantly taking hold of one of her hands. Arimus smiled at Gourry and held his hand as well. For some reason, Lina had an uncontrollable urge to kick Arimus. But, thinking that might endanger her gold, she just clenched her teeth, and said, "Hurry it up already." 

"Right." Arimus bowed her head, and the three of them all glowed golden for a split second, before they disappeared. 

The three of them appeared once again on a road leading towards a large building. Both the road and most of the building ahead of them were made completely of gold, and shone in the light of two bright moons overhead. 

Lina stared at the road beneath her feet. "G-g-g-gold?" she stammered. "You build your roads out of _gold_?" she demanded loudly. 

Arimus shrugged, and said, "I thought it was odd that you wanted pavement as your rewards, but I didn't ask." 

"Pavement?!" 

"Hey, Lina!" Gourry said abruptly. When he got Lina's attention, he pointed up, and shouted, "There are two moons! Look!" 

Lina looked up, and nearly tripped backwards. The jellyfish was right. There _were_ two moons. "This is real, isn't it?" she asked softly. 

Arimus nodded. "Very real." 

"Wow..." Lina and Gourry spoke in awe. 

"Please, come with me, Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev," Arimus said, completely at ease with her surroundings. "The temple is just at the end of this road." Lina and Gourry took their eyes away from the amazing sight above them, and walked on the wide road beside Arimus. "We arrived just outside a town," Arimus said to them. "This is as close as anyone can teleport inside or outside of the temple. There are powerful seals around it to keep people from teleporting inside." 

"So why are we here?" Gourry asked, still looking all around him in awe, looking at the purple sand and the strangely-colored birds flying in the sky above them. 

Arimus began to speak before Lina could even draw a breath. "Our God, Trephied, has imprisoned Death Fog within a seal, but he is very weak, and the seal is beginning to break. If it breaks, Death Fog can destroy this world. So Lina Inverse will help strengthen the seal to keep Death Fog inside." 

"Seal?" Gourry asked. "Like that water animal?" He broke into a big grin. "Those things are cute!" 

Arimus giggled, and Lina bashed Gourry's head with her elbow. "It's not an animal, you numbskull," Lina told him. "It's like a big invisible wall holding him back. If he breaks the wall, he gets out. These Higher Worlders have requested the assistance of the Beautiful Sorcery Genius Lina Inverse to come and save their world from impending destruction!" Lina shot a pose, pointing to the sky dramatically. 

"Sorcery isn't a common gift in the Higher World," Arimus explained. "Even just a common sorcerer would be a very powerful person here." 

"So does that mean I'm one of the strongest people in this world?" Lina asked in amazement, her eyes sparkling with stars. 

Reluctantly, Arimus admitted that perhaps there was some truth to that egotistical statement. 

"Wow, that's a big temple," Gourry said, looking up at the temple that loomed above them. 

"Do all servants of the Gods blow things out of proportion?" Lina asked, referring to the giant-sized temples she'd seen built by the Golden Dragons. 

Arimus just kept walking up a large, wide flight of stairs that led to enormous double doors. "I supposed maybe they do," she conceded, though Lina suspected it was just to make her happy. "Please, keep up." 

Lina and Gourry walked just behind Arimus, who took them through the huge double doors that opened very easily, despite looks. From there, they were taken down long golden hallways, with torches in brackets at intervals along the walls. They walked on and on and on and on and on... Just when Lina was positive she couldn't walk another step, the hallway opened into a huge chamber. Every inch of it was covered in gold, as was the giant statue of a mighty dragon at the far end of the room. 

In the center of the room were two men. One of them was on his knees, handcuffs restricting him to the ground. The other man stood just behind the first, wearing a hood and cloak much like the one that Arimus wore. "You've brought her?" the second man asked urgently, placing a comforting hand on the shoulder of the first. 

"Yes, Helinor," Arimus answered, walking into the temple to stand beside him. "She's agreed to help us." 

Lina and Gourry stood in front of everyone, and Gourry asked, "What's wrong with that guy?" He pointed at the man on his knees and shackled to the floor. 

With a sad sigh, Arimus answered, "That is Trephied, our God. This seal has left him so weakened that he has been forced into human state." 

"Why's he handcuffed to the ground?" Gourry wondered. 

"Because," Helinor answered shortly. 

Arimus gave Helinor a sharp look, and replied, "Because if Trephied leaves this temple, the seal will be broken. Death Fog has been trying to force Trephied out for many days now, and the only way he could combat it was to give us orders to bind him to the temple." 

"I see," Lina said softly. She actually felt sorry for that guy, trapped in this temple with the burden of holding back the destruction of the world. "So what do I do?" she asked. 

Trephied, who had been silent until now, began to speak to her. His breath came out in labored gasps, and his voice was hoarse. "Lina Inverse," he spoke. "You must help... to strengthen... the seal... I cannot... hold on much... longer..." He broke off coughing and wheezing, unable to continue. Helinor and Arimus got down on their knees beside him, but there was nothing they could do for him. 

"Please, Lina Inverse," Arimus pleaded again. "Help us. We don't want Trephied to die!" 

Lina stared at the weak-looking man in front of her. This used to be a powerful Dragon God. Now, he was less than a man. If something could take that much out of a God, how was she supposed to help? 

"Lina..." Gourry said quietly, almost a question. 

Lina swallowed, and then nodded. "I'll help," she told them. 

Arimus broke into a teary smile, and Helinor stood up and shook her hand. "Thank you, Lina Inverse," he said graciously. "Now, if you'll just come with me..." Without releasing her hand, he led Lina closer to the giant golden statue in the back of the room, Gourry and Arimus following close behind. 

When they were standing right up to the statue, Helinor placed his palm against the statue's base, which was about twenty feet tall. A small door appeared, and opened. Inside was a small chamber, only the size of a tiny closet. At the far end of the room were straps with buckles, and there was a magic circle covering the whole thing, even painted on the walls. 

"Please, step inside, Lina Inverse," Helinor said, gesturing to the small room. 

Lina peered into the room. "Why do I have to go in there?" she asked, suddenly a little wary of what she was about to do. 

"To become part of the seal, of course," Helinor responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Wait!" Lina shouted, backing up a step. "Become a part of it? You never said that!! You just said I had to help strengthen it!!" 

Helinor nodded, and replied, "By becoming a part of it, you will strengthen it. The only obligation you have is to remain here forever." 

Lina stared at Helinor like he was insane. Sure, _he_ might be able to sacrifice his life for his God, but she wouldn't! "No way!" she yelled in his face. "I've still got a life to live, buddy! I'm not going to give it up for the sake of your God!" 

"But it's not just for our God," Arimus answered strongly. "It's for the sake of our whole world!" 

"But-- But--" Lina stammered angrily. "This isn't what you told me I was going to do! I won't do it! I flat-out refuse!!" She tore her arm away from Helinor's grasp, and crossed her arms tightly. 

Gourry drew his sword, and stood protectively beside Lina. "Besides," he continued for Lina. "I won't let you take her in there. I'm her protector, and I can't just let you do something like that." 

"Lina Inverse, you said you'd help us," Arimus cried. 

"Not by giving up the rest of _my_ life to save _yours_!" Lina retorted. 

Helinor bowed his head for a moment, and at first Lina though he was about to give in. Most people did when she was in a rage. But instead, he said something to Arimus in a language Lina didn't understand. Arimus nodded slowly, nearly in tears. Then, as one, Helinor and Arimus walked towards Lina and Gourry. Arimus grabbed Lina's arm, and started dragging her towards the small room. When Gourry started to reach out to her, Helinor came up behind Gourry to restrain him. Gourry fought against Helinor's hold, but the Higher Worlder was much stronger than the swordsman. Gourry could only watch in horror as Arimus forced Lina into the chamber, kicking and shouting all the way. 

"Let go of me! This doesn't seem like good behavior for servants of the Gods! You're gonna regret this! I'll make you pay for this!!" 

After a moment, when Lina realized that wasn't going to work, her shouting changed. 

"Gourry! Stop this!! Let go of me!! Gourry!!!" 

Gourry tried to wrench free of Helinor's grip, but to no avail. "Lina!" 

Arimus pushed Lina into the tiny room and against the back wall. Then she walked in after Lina, trapping her against the opposite end of the room. 

Lina was backed against the wall with nowhere else to go. Gourry couldn't come to help her. Arimus was too strong just to shove past her. If she tried a spell in that tiny space, she'd blow herself up, too. But it looked like her only choice... "Fireball!" she shouted. But nothing happened. "What the--" she started to ask, staring at her hands. 

"This temple is sealed against magic," Arimus told her. "I really wish you'd just cooperate with this, Lina Inverse. I hate to force you into this." 

"Yeah, right," Lina scoffed, trying to keep her cool when she knew there wasn't any way out just then. 

Arimus nodded slowly, and waked even closer to Lina in the tiny room. Even with Lina kicking and struggling, she managed to buckle the straps tightly, and turned to leave the room. 

"Lina!" Gourry shouted. He twisted and struggled and tried to pull away to get to her, but nothing he did would make Helinor release him. "LINA!" 

Lina pulled against the straps that bound her at the wrist, but they wouldn't give even an inch. "Let me out of this thing!" she shouted, half scared and half angry. "Gourry!" 

Arimus walked out of the small room, her head bowed. She looked up at Helinor, and nodded slowly. To Gourry's surprise, Helinor let go of him. Gourry charged forward to get to Lina, but the door started closing. He tried to run faster, to make it to the door before it could shut. 

"GOUR--" Lina started to shout, but it was cut off by the closing of the door. Gourry met the closed door with the side of his fist, and sank slowly to his knees. 

Behind him, Gourry was aware that Helinor and Arimus had come to stand at either side of him. They placed their hands on his shoulders, and he tensed. "We're sorry," Arimus said quietly. "It had to be done." 

Helinor began, "We understand how you must feel, but--" 

Gourry was furious. He stood up and turned around in one quick motion. He towered over Helinor, and shouted with tears in his eyes, "You have _no idea_ how I feel!!" Arimus placed her hand on his arm to try to calm him down, but he shoved her off. "You just took away the most important thing to me!!" He grabbed Helinor by the collar of his cloak, and nearly lifted him off the ground. Then, not shouting, but with enough pain and steel in his voice to make Helinor flinch, Gourry said, "And I'll never see her again." 

"There is no use fighting," a hoarse voice spoke, breaking the tension. "What's done... is done." 

All three of them turned to face Trephied, but still Gourry did not release Helinor. "Let her go," Gourry commanded Trephied. "Give her back!" 

Slowly, Trephied shook his head. "That is something... I cannot do," he said. Was there a hint of sadness or remorse in his voice? "Though I regret this more than you know... it had to be done... There was no other way... Forgive me..." 

As Trephied broke off in another fit of coughs that racked his frail body, Gourry slowly let go of Helinor. The man was obviously dying. Helinor and Arimus ran over to him, but the coughing continued. Gourry hung back, and could only watch as he fell into Helinor's arms. "At least now... the world is safe..." Trephied managed to say, before he finally let go of life, and passed away. 

"Trephied!" Arimus cried, tears staining her face. "Don't die! Wake up!" 

"Arimus..." Helinor spoke softly, laying Trephied down on the floor gently. 

Arimus wasn't listening, and continued crying. "Open your eyes!" she shouted at Trephied's still form. 

Helinor placed a hand on Arimus's arm. "Arimus," he said strongly. "He's gone. There's nothing--" 

He broke off abruptly, and even Gourry knew why. The temple had started shaking! "What's going on?" Gourry demanded, staggering and trying to keep his balance. 

"The temple's collapsing!" Helinor shouted, standing up and dragging Arimus to her feet. "The seal is breaking! We have to get out of here!" 

As they all started running down the long golden corridor, Gourry yelled between breaths, "Why is the seal breaking? That's what you sacrificed Lina for!! Isn't it?! So it wouldn't break!!" 

"She must not have been as strong as we assumed," Helinor shouted back, trying to make Arimus keep up with them. "With Trephied gone, all the power of the seal was upon her, and she just wasn't strong enough to hold it!" 

Gourry stopped dead. He grabbed Helinor by the neck, and held him up to the wall, his feet above the floor. "Are you telling me that taking Lina away from me was all for _nothing_!?" he demanded coldly. 

Before Helinor could answer, Arimus broke in. "Please, we must get out of here! Gourry Gabriev, I know you mourn for Lina Inverse, but don't let your life be taken as well! You must get out of here!" 

Gourry turned to stare down at Arimus, his eyes brimming with tears again. "Without Lina, what is there to live for?" he asked her quietly. 

"I'm sure you have much to live for, but we must go!" Arimus shouted. She pushed Gourry, trying to get him to move. Slowly, Gourry let go of Helinor, who dropped to his feet, and they all ran towards the exit once again. 

The rumbling and shaking grew stronger and louder as they ran. The ground shook beneath them, and the ceiling cracked high overhead. Behind them, they could hear the temple caving in, and large chunks of rock falling to the ground. This only made the three of them run faster than before, trying to escape before they could be buried under tons of rock. 

Finally, the outline of the giant doors was visible ahead of them. But the sounds of the collapsing ceiling got closer and closer from behind. With an earsplitting crack, the ceiling just above them fell in. Arimus, who was lagging slightly behind, was just beneath it. Acting quickly, Gourry ran back there, and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the falling rock. Before she could thank him, he gave her a shove to get her running in front of him. When Helinor finally threw the doors open and they all ran outside, they were just barely in time. Not seconds after Gourry had left the temple, the entire thing caved in, dust billowing up from the impact. 

When the dust finally cleared away, all that was left of the temple was a mass of rubble and ruin. But Gourry, Helinor, and Arimus barely noticed. Something else, far more important than the ruin of the temple, had caught their attention. 

Hovering above the remains of the temple was a shapeless mass of dark green fog. In the center glittered two point of bright light, glaring at them like a pair of eyes. 

Her own eyes wide with fright, Arimus managed to say in a choked whisper, "Death Fog... He's released..." 

Gourry stared at Death Fog. That green cloud was a feared Dark Lord? "Why..." Gourry started. Then he changed his mind, and rephrased the question. "What powers does Death Fog have?" he asked. 

"All who breathe in that fog that surrounds him suffer a prolonged and painful death," Helinor answered. His voice was monotone, but he was glaring at Death Fog fiercely. 

"So the fog isn't his real body?" 

Helinor shook his head. "No, although nobody knows what his true form looks like. Or, at least, nobody alive." 

Death Fog's eyes flashed brightly for a split second, and then there was the sound of rushing wind, accompanied by a force that was so powerful, it forced Gourry, Helinor, and Arimus to their knees. The fog around the Dark Lord swirled threateningly. 

"What's happening?" Gourry shouted over the rushing noise. "What kind of attack is this?" 

"This is no attack," Helinor yelled back. "He's just gathering his energy so he can move!" 

Gourry gritted his teeth and bowed his head against the force that was pushing against them. "Do _all_ Dark Lords move like this?" he demanded. As he'd expected, he didn't get an answer. 

Death Fog began moving slowly, heading away from the accursed temple that had held him prisoner. Thankfully, he was moving in the opposite direction of the nearest town. 

"We've got to go after him," Helinor announced once Death Fog had gotten far enough away that the noise and the pressure had gone. He stood up, and helped Arimus to her feet. "Are you coming?" he asked Gourry. 

With a noncommittal shrug, Gourry answered, "Where else have I to go?" 

Helinor decided not to comment on that, and instead just said, "Let's go. We have to hurry!" Before he'd even finished speaking, he took off after Death Fog. "We'll get close enough to attack," he said. "But far enough out of range to avoid that force he exerts." 

"How will we attack him?" Gourry asked, running alongside Helinor. "My sword won't do anything against a Dark Lord, and you two--" 

"Have our own way of fighting," Helinor finished for him. "Even though Trephied is dead, his power still lingers within us. We use that power to make a sort of magic, though I'll admit it isn't very powerful." 

As they ran, Gourry couldn't stop himself from thinking, "If only Lina was here... We wouldn't have to worry about fighting Death Fog at all." 

**Authoress Note**

****

****Poor Gourry! *sniffle* He lost Lina!!!! And now they're going to try to fight Death Fog!! ;_____; Oh, yeah, I'm sorry about not updating for a while. I don't remember the last time I updated. Couple weeks ago? *shrug* Anyway.... Yah. This is the newest chapter. The rest of the fic is cool, too, but you hafta be patient ^___^ 


	3. Return of the Sorceress

**Slayers FIGHT**

****

**Chapter 3**

****

**"Return of the Sorceress"**

After nearly a half hour of running, they finally caught up with Death Fog. The Dark Lord didn't move very fast, but he'd had a good head start while Gourry, Helinor, and Arimus recovered from the force of his movement. 

And now, while they were fighting, Gourry never wished more that he had his Sword of Light back. Helinor and Arimus could cast golden spells, but they were very small and weak, and they took a long time to cast. It looked pretty much hopeless for them. Death Fog hadn't attacked back as of yet, but they all knew it was only a matter of time. 

Just like things always did, the bad suddenly took an unexpected turn for the better. 

A voice chanted loudly through the fight, "_Sword of the cold, dark void. Free yourself from the heaven's bonds._" 

Gourry looked up, and all around. There was no mistaking it. That was Lina's voice! But where was she? 

"_Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together. Power that can smash even the souls of the Gods. RAGNA BLADE!!_" 

There was a large explosion of black energy, followed by a blast of light. Gourry shaded his eyes against the sudden light. When it died off, he looked back towards where it had come from. The dust slowly cleared away. Death Fog was still there, though he looked very injured. And standing on a rock that jutted out from the ground was-- 

"LINA!!" Gourry shouted. He scrambled to his feet, and ran as fast as he could towards Lina. He wanted nothing more than to hug her and hold her tight, but he restrained himself. "How... How did you... The temple... You..." he stammered. 

**..::*~*::..**

Lina smiled at Gourry. For a second, she thought he'd hug her, but he'd stopped running when he reached her. She'd sort of hoped that he _would_ hug her. But, seeing as he didn't, she'd just answer his questions. "It was actually pretty simple," she told him. "While Trephied was alive, the power behind the seal was shared between both of us. When he died, all the power was up to me. I wasn't just going to stay there forever. I knew I had a chance of defeating Death Fog once he was released, so I just broke the seal. When the temple collapsed, I cut the straps, and blasted my way out of there." 

Gourry smiled at her in relief. Lina was shocked to see tears in Gourry's eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay, Lina," he said finally. 

Arimus and Helinor had caught up to them, and heard Lina's tale of escape. "I'm impressed, Lina Inverse," Helinor said. "I never would have thought a human capable of--" 

"You should never underestimate Lina Inverse," she said haughtily. 

"Look!" Arimus shouted, pointing to the sky. "Death Fog is leaving!" 

Lina and the others looked up as well. "He must be going to regenerate," Lina thought aloud. "He probably won't fight while he's so injured." She turned to Helinor, and asked, "How long will it take him to recover?" 

"From an attack like that? Most of all night, I'd say," Helinor responded. He and Arimus were obviously impressed by Lina's escape and dramatic reentrance with the powerful Ragna Blade. 

"Great!" Lina said, smiling. "Then we can get some sleep! I don't know about you, but I'm wiped out! Where's a good inn to stay at around here?" 

Arimus and Helinor shared confused glances. Then Arimus shrugged, and said, "There's a town just a short ways off... But shouldn't we attack Death Fog while he's injured?" 

Lina started walking towards the town, and waved her hand idly, brushing that aside. "I'll deal with him later. We can't fight when we're tired and hungry! Let's go get some food and some sleep and come back and kick his sorry butt!!" 

"Yeah!" Gourry agreed, taking off after Lina. 

Helinor and Arimus just stared after them for a moment before they began to follow, albeit at a much slower pace. 

**..::*~*::..**

When they reached the inn, Helinor and Arimus were in for another shock. The amount of food Lina and Gourry ordered, and the voracity with which they ate it. Their table was in the center of the inn, and all surrounding tables were empty. People were lined up against the wall, watching the violent spectacle. On a few occasions, Lina would let loose a Fireball, which would scare the wits out of most of the onlookers. Even Helinor and Arimus disassociated themselves from Lina and Gourry, standing along the wall with the other spectators. 

Finally, after settling down, the tables and bowls empty, Lina sighed, and announced, "I'm full. I couldn't eat another bite!" 

"Me too," Gourry said, propping his feet up on the table. 

"Now!" Lina declared, standing up and pointing at pretty much nothing. "It's off to bed!! C'mon, Gourry." She grinned, and challenged him to a race up the stairs. She won, naturally, because Gourry knew she would have blown him up if he won. After they reached the top of the stairs, Lina stopped so suddenly that Gourry nearly ran into her. Lina peeked around Gourry, and back down the stairs. "You coming?" she asked Arimus and Helinor. 

Arimus nodded, and answered, "But not just yet. We'll be up shortly." 

Lina shrugged. "Okay." She turned and found her room. She smiled up at Gourry, said goodnight, and went inside. While she was getting comfortable in her bed, she realized something she'd not had time to think about all day. 

She was still in her pajamas. Gourry had been, too, for that matter. But with his armor strapped on, it looked almost like his normal clothes. Lina gritted her teeth. Why hadn't Arimus or Helinor told her she was in her pajamas? She sighed, and figured she'd just ask Arimus or the innkeeper for some clothes tomorrow. 

Just as Lina was about to fall asleep, she heard something outside her door. She looked over there, and saw the door start to open. She got her hands ready to cast a fireball at whoever the intruder was-- 

And stared as Gourry walked slowly into her room. 

"Gourry?" she asked, confused. She lowered her hands, and sat up in bed. "What are you doing in here?" 

Gourry fidgeted a little, and said, "I need to talk to you." 

"Sure, what is it?" Lina asked with a shrug. 

After pulling a chair over to Lina's bed, he sat down on it. "I just wanted you to know that I was really scared today," he admitted. 

"Of Death Fog? You don't have to be scared of him, I'm gonna whip hi--" 

"Not him," Gourry interrupted. 

Lina blinked, puzzled. "Well... What, then?" 

Gourry took a slow breath, before he said, "When they took you away from me and locked you up... I was scared I'd never see you again. And..." He looked away. "I felt like it wasn't worth living without you there for me to protect. I almost stayed in that temple when it started to collapse. I felt like it wasn't worth being alive if you were gone." He looked up at Lina again. "I'm scared, because I've never felt like I should die if I never saw someone again. I don't want you to ever, ever leave again, Lina. Promise me that? Please?" 

"G-Gourry..." Lina stammered, blushing, trying to find something to say to all of that. 

"Just promise me, Lina?" Gourry asked her. 

Slowly, Lina nodded, and told him, "I promise." 

Gourry smiled, and hugged Lina tightly. "Thank you, Lina." Then he stood up, and started out of the room. He was about to open the door, when Lina said his name. He turned around to look at her. 

"Gourry, do you..." Lina started, blushing brightly. "I mean, would you..." Again, she didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she smiled a little, and shook her head. "Never mind." 

"What is it, Lina?" Gourry asked. What had she tried to ask him? 

Lina snuggled down into her blankets again, and said, "Nothing. Good night." 

Gourry looked at Lina for a moment, before he replied, "Good night," and left the room. 

Lina stared after the door. She couldn't believe she'd almost asked Gourry that... Good thing her common sense took over. She turned onto her other side, and curled up in her blankets. But, the thought that Gourry would be that distraught over her being gone... She'd been sad and upset when Gourry had been kidnapped by Phibrizzo-- she'd even cried --but she never thought of not living. Of course, she'd been confident that she'd get Gourry back. Gourry was convinced he'd never see her again. But, still... He'd rather _die_ than live without her? Did that mean that he really-- 

Before she could think anything strange, Lina cut her thoughts off, and forced herself to go to sleep. Despite what Gourry had told her, nothing between them would change. Everything would be exactly the same as before, because nothing was different. 

**..::*~*::..**

In the morning, after Lina got some new clothes from the inn, she, Gourry, Arimus, and Helinor left the inn at a run, chasing after Death Fog. He'd most likely healed himself by then, and it was time to attack. It took them the better part of an hour to find Death Fog, and when they did, they seemed to be at the perfect battle site. The area was wide and flat, with mountains on two sides and a deep valley at the opposite end. Death Fog couldn't get out, while Lina and the others had a sure was of escape should they need to retreat. Lina, however, was _not_ intending on running away. She would win. 

"All right," Lina shouted, facing Death Fog. "This is it, guys. The final showdown. Death Fog is going down." 

"I think the best way to attack," Helinor told Lina. "Would be for you to use that powerful attack you used yesterday, while Arimus and I cast our spells as well." 

Lina nodded. "Works for me," she said. "I'm going to cast my spell. Make sure you're ready to cast yours when mine goes off, okay?" When Helinor and Arimus nodded, Lina bowed her head, and extended her hands out to her sides. "_Lord of Darkness, ruler over the Four Worlds, I call upon you. Grant me the power that you posses,_" she said, chanting the talisman amplification spell. Then she began the Ragna Blade. "_Sword of the cold, dark void. Free yourself from the heaven's bonds. Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together. Power that can smash even the souls of the gods. RAGNA BLADE!_" Lina held the blade of magical power in her hands. She could control the Ragna Blade easily now. She glared at Death Fog, right into his metallic green eyes, and charged at him. She jumped into the air, and brought the black blade slashing through the air, and through the fog surrounding the Dark Lord. 

When Lina fell to the ground again, she looked up at Death Fog from her knees. "He's not even injured!" she shouted. Death Fog didn't even have a scratch on him. "The Ragna Blade didn't even touch him!!" She glared at Helinor and Arimus, who had run over to her, Gourry right on their heels. "What the hell happened?" she demanded loudly, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "That spell worked great last night! Now it went right through him! Explain!!" 

"On rare occasions," Arimus started. "Death Fog can build an immunity to certain spells. Normally he can't defend against very powerful spells. But he must have had all that time overnight to build up his immunity." 

Lina was furious. "AND HOW COME NOBODY TOLD ME THIS BEFORE?" she exploded, standing on tiptoe to try to shove her face up to Arimus's. 

"Because it normally wouldn't happen with such powerful magic," Arimus told her steadily. 

Gourry placed a hand on Lina's shoulder, and she sighed in frustration. "All right. Fine. What do we do now?" she grumbled, crossing her arms. She was very much aware that Gourry didn't take his hand away, which helped her relax a little. 

Arimus and Helinor looked at each other, and shrugged, not knowing what to do. Gourry shrugged at well. "If I had my Sword of Light, you could cast spells into that," he said ruefully. "But it's gone..." 

"Gourry, you're a genius!" Lina shouted, clapping him hard on the shoulder. 

Gourry blinked. Lina, calling him a genius? "What did I say?" he asked, more confused than ever. 

"We'll go to the Overworld and get your Sword of Light back from Sirius!" she exclaimed. "We'll just borrow it for a little while! He won't mind!" 

"How will we get to the Overworld?" Gourry asked. 

Lina turned to Helinor and Arimus now. "You two got from the Higher World to our world. You can get to the Overworld too, right?" 

Helinor and Arimus glanced at each other. Then Helinor answered, "I suppose we could..." 

"Great!" Lina said enthusiastically. "Now, let's get going already--" 

"Lina Inverse," Arimus interrupted. She ignored the glare Lina shot her, and said, "If we leave, Death Fog will make it to the town on the other side of that valley. He'll kill everyone there." 

Lina stared. "N... No way..." 

Slowly, Arimus nodded. "We can't leave. The town will be destroyed." 

Lina bit her lip, and looked up at Death Fog. They couldn't defeat him with the means they possessed now. They needed the power of the Sword of Light, and probably the other Dark Star weapons, too. Those were their only solution at the moment. Unless... She could try the Giga Slave. But, even though she could control the power of the Lord of Nightmares when using the Ragna Blade, the Giga Slave _was_ the Lord of Nightmares, and there was no controlling her. After learning the truth about the Giga Slave, she tried never to cast it again. But, if they couldn't get the Dark Star weapons, then what other choice did they have? Would she really have to use it? 

"Lina Inverse," Helinor said quietly, as if he was reluctant to speak. "There is another way..." 

"What is it?" Lina asked, jumping on any suggestion that would get her out of casting the Giga Slave again. 

Helinor looked Lina steadily in the eye. "We could seal Death Fog to you _temporarily_ while Arimus, Gourry Gabriev, and I go to the Overworld and get the Sword of Light." 

"You think that after you nearly sealed me to that thing for eternity, I'd let you go and do it again? What kind of idiot do you take me for?" Lina yelled. 

"We know you're capable of either maintaining or breaking the seal," Helinor said calmly. "If we left you, you could easily break the seal, and we'd be back at the starting point." 

"If, however," Arimus continued for Helinor. "You hold the seal of your own will, you can maintain it until we can return and destroy Death Fog." 

Lina glared between Arimus and Helinor for a minute. She sighed, and bowed her head reluctantly. "As much as I hate to admit it, you guys are right," she said. "That seems about the only way for this to work out right now." 

"Lina..." Gourry said quietly, his voice obviously protesting that agreement. 

"Don't worry about me, Gourry," Lina told him with a reassuring grin that belied the butterflies in her stomach. "I'll be fine. You just hurry up and get Sirius and the Dark Star weapons, okay?" 

Gourry just looked at her for a moment, his eyes begging her not to do that. But her stare was steady, and he could tell that she wasn't going to give in. He sighed, and his shoulders sagged. "If you say so, Lina," he said finally. 

"Great!" Lina said, putting on a false smile. "Then let's do this!" Despite what Helinor and Arimus said, she was still nervous about having Death Fog sealed to her again. 

Arimus and Helinor stood around Lina. Each of them had one palm facing Lina, the other facing Death Fog. Upon their instruction, Lina faced Death Fog, and held her hands out, palms toward the Dark Lord. Gourry hung back, watching silently. 

Slowly, Arimus and Helinor's hands began glowing golden. The light encircled Lina and Death Fog, connecting them by a steady beam. There was a loud rushing sound, and a bright flash of light. When the light faded, Death Fog was gone, and Lina was glowing with a golden light. Her jaw was locked, and her hands were tightly into fists. "You guys better hurry up," she told them. She could feel Death Fog trying to break away, already testing the limits of her willpower and strength. "I can't hold him very long." 

"Lina?" Gourry started, taking a step towards her. 

"Go!" Lina shouted. 

Arimus took Gourry by the arm, and led him away from Lina. Lina watched as the three of them held hands, and disappeared in a golden light. When they were gone, Lina let herself drop to her knees. She didn't let on how strongly Death Fog was trying to break free. She hadn't been understating the fact that she wouldn't be able to hold him long. She found herself wishing they were back already so she could let Death Fog go. 

**Authoress Note:**   
****I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME THIS LONG TO UPDATE!!! First I had computer problems, then we revamped my hard drive, then we had MORE computer problems, then after we got my computer working, I couldn't find the file for this fic! Finally, I got around to doing a search over both computers, and found it! So here it is! I even put in more than I had originally planned to make up for it!! Forgive me please!!! 

In any case.... some of you may have noticed that the chant for Lina's talismans is different. In the series, the chant goes "_Lords of Darkness of the Four Worlds, grant me all the power you possess_." In this fic, it's "_Lord of Darkness over the Four Worlds, grant me the power you possess._" Same basic thing, but if you remember, Dark Star is dead, so Lina's old talismans don't work. She has new ones, meaning there's a new chant. Just in case some of you didn't catch that. 

And now I have a recommendation to make. If you have a PS2, get/rent the game Ephemeral Fantasia. It is UBER-awesomal. You'll want a LOT of extra time on your hands, though. Like, a week's worth. Probably more than that, actually. And you'll want to print out the walkthrough. There's a really good walkthrough out there somewhere that I use all the time. You can't beat the game without it, trust me. But it is so much fun! And it has lots of kawaiiness! And there's a talking guitar! It's definitely worth renting! My brother says it's a lot like Grandia (sp?), if anyone's played that..... I haven't played Grandia, so I wouldn't know. All I know is that I love it. I've had it for a few days now, and I think I'm about halfway through it. So, yeah, go rent it. After you rent it and play it, I'll show y'all the pictures I drew for it ^_____^ 


End file.
